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Print and Direct Mail
Homepage > The 2009 Reed Awards > Print and Direct Mail
2009 Reed Winners...
Best Mail that Never Saw the Light of Day
Mack/Crounse Group – "The America I See" Early on in the campaign season, Mack/Crounse Group collaborated with Christina Hollenback, the Youth Initiatives Program Manager for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, to develop a multimedia youth outreach strategy in the General Election. This collaboration resulted in a campaign that targeted college campuses and the internet with real stories, identifying the "America I See' and the "America I Want" from the perspectives of America’s youth. This 8.5 x 22 brochure, for example, presents the bleak outlook of a young woman in post-Katrina New Orleans. As a result of the Obama campaign's successful youth outreach and mobilization program, this outside campaign was never implemented, but its effect remains powerful.
Best non-US campaign (International)
Exata Consultoria – Inácio Neto – "The Councilman of the People"
This leaflet, differing from other direct mail pieces with its fresh look, was intended to connect the candidate to targeted voters, raising their interest and informing them that Neto was aware of their problems.
Direct Mail – Best Villain
The Lukens Company – "Wouldn't You?"
To seize attention and provoke an emotional response, the Lukens Company presented voters with this image of a baby carriage on railroad tracks. By suggesting that Obama's position on abortion was equivalent to leaving a baby on the tracks, the piece immediately framed Obama as a villain, unwilling to save even the most helpless.
Direct Mail – Local Candidate
Stearns Consulting – "The David Campos Story"
Running for an open seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in a heavily Latino district, David Campos had to distinguish himself from the two other major candidates. Like him, they were both Latino and politically progressive. Since there were few major policy differences between the candidates, the Campos campaign created this biographical piece to tell his compelling story—fleeing Guatemala with his family as a political refugee, entering the United States as an undocumented immigrant and going on to graduate from Stanford and Harvard Law School.
Direct Mail – Democratic State Legislative Candidate
Mack Crounse Group – "Voccio Said What?"
Democrat Frank Burns, running to fill an open seat in the Pennsylvania's 72nd House District faced Republican Chris Voccio, a former publisher of the area's major newspaper, in a close battle. Instead of using cluttered-looking "tear sheets," Mack/Crounse Group used a newspaper-like design to present Voccio's extreme views in his own words. Though Barack Obama significantly underperformed Democratic registration in the district, Burns won this essential seat by a 5-point margin, helping Democrats expand their one-seat majority in the state House.
Direct Mail – Republican State Legislative Candidate
Faulkner Strategies – Dan Leonard – GOTV
Dan Leonard, running for State Representative in Indiana's House District 50, found himself in a race where Indiana mailboxes were overstuffed with political mail. But by using creative design and easy-to-read blurbs, this piece stuck out. Showing seemingly unimportant moments in history that turned out to have great impact, the piece turns Leonard's status as outsider into a strength and suggests that with a small action—voting for Leonard—voters could have their own great impact of bringing an outsider to Indianapolis.
Direct Mail – Democratic Congressional Candidate [tie]
Gold Communications – "Teague: Clubhouse"
This barrelfold piece was used to drive home one point: While Republican Ed Tinsley was running to represent largely rural Southern New Mexico, he actually made his home in a luxury gated community in Santa Fe. As the piece unfolds, the recipient sees Tinsley's multi-million dollar home, the gated community's impressive clubhouse and Tinsley himself at a golf outing—all of which you might see yourself, if you only knew Tinsley's gate code. Rather than make the case that Tinsley did not live in the district, the piece makes a visual "values statement" that Tinsley is "not one of us."
Mad Dog Mail – "Vets"
This piece emphasized the military background of Congressman Chris Carney, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania's 10th District. Carney, a Commander in the Navy Reserve, stood up for veterans in his first term and fought to expand the GI Bill.
Petel & Company – "Scrapbook"
Mary Jo Kilroy ran for Congress in Ohio's 15th Congressional District, which no Democrat had won in over 42 years. In what was an incredibly negative race in 2006, Kilroy lost to the incumbent after a recount. Petel & Company was hired to help Kilroy overcome her residual negatives from that campaign. This piece was designed to tell her personal story—the daughter of a Vet, a woman who put herself through school and the mother of two daughters—to connect with voters. The first in a series of positive mailings, all told in first-person by Kilroy, this piece used old family photos assembled in a scrapbok to appeal to the target audience, women 35 and older. The piece also set a strong foundation of middle-class values and ethical behavior, creating a contrast with Kilroy's opponent, a former lobbyist with questionable ethics and ties to corruption.
Direct Mail – Republican Congressional Candidate
thetrazgroup – "Piggy Piggy"
During the primary, thetrazgroup discovered that their candidate's opponent, Jack Kelly, was a political mess. While serving as an elected official, he held two high-paying patronage jobs for which he was underqualified; he boosted the taxpayer-funded pensions with which he retired five years later; and thanks to health-plan loopholes, he pocketed an extra $71,000 in cash. One of the regional papers wrote a scathing editorial against Kelly, but the paper did not cover the entire district. Using strong images and newspaper clippings, this piece got the word out.
Direct Mail – Statewide Candidate
Kennedy Communications – "Grandma Mollie"
In the September 2008 Democratic Primary, Delaware State Treasurer Jack Markell faced Lt. Governor John Carney, a popular figure in state politics and the presumed successor to the sitting governor. So Kennedy Communications sought to raise the stakes of the campaign and move it beyond a popularity contest. Since national events had put voters in a mood for change, Kennedy Communications positioned Markell as a straight shooter and creative problem solver—the person they could trust to put Delaware on a new path. In one of the first pieces mailed, they used Markell's own words to tell the story of why he was running for governor: his Grandmother's straight talk and her conviction that people and community must come first, a story that appealed to voters and especially the key demographic of seniors.
Direct Mail – Third Party Candidate
Spectrum Marketing Companies, Inc. – "Red Handed"
Peter Palumbo, the incumbent Democratic Representative for Rhode Island's 16th District, had never been taken to task for his violation of State House rules. Research by Spectrum Marketing Companies, Inc. showed that informed voters resented those lapses and their absent consequences. This piece reminded those voters that the incumbent had moral shortcoming and was not representing their best interests.
Direct Mail – Independent Expenditure Campaign/Issue Advocacy/Ballot Initiative [tie]
360JMG – "Bodnar Storybook"
After a series of pieces highlighting Colorado House Candidate John Bodnar's ties to Big Oil and his opposition to protection for clean air and water, 360JMG needed one more piece to ensure the image of John Bodnar as "The King of Big Oil" to set in. In order to avoid generating a backlash for being too negative, we came up with this fun, rhyming storybook that tells the story of Bodnar as the King of Big Oil in an eye-catching, memorable way. The 8-page booklet measures 7 x 10 inches when folded.
Mad Dog Mail – "The Tiffany Plan"
This piece, one of a number that conveyed the same message, uses visuals to empashize that Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin's 12th State Senate District, supported sending tax dollars from the district—far up in the northeastern corner of the state—down to private schools in Milwaukee.
Mission Control, Inc. – "Sweetheart"
This piece highlighted the fact that Tom Feeney, the incumbent Congressman from Florida's 24th Congressional District, had taken an illegal golfing trip—paid for by lobbyist Jack Abramoff—to Scotland. By leveling this attack early and effectively, Mission Control, Inc. helped the DCCC get out in front of Feeney, and helped allow Democrat Suzanne Kosmas’ campaign to march toward a 16-point victory.
Toughest Direct Mail Piece
Rainmaker Media Group – "Forrest Gump"
Rainmaker Media Group's candidate was running against Ed Eaglowski, a judge who was ranked as the least qualified and the least intelligent incumbent judge in West Virginia. The firm decided to spoof the movie poster from Forrest Gump in a direct mail campaign. Like the movie character, Eaglowski may have been likeable, but he lacked intelligence and reasoning ability. Riffing on elements of the movie, the piece used the famous bench image to coin a catchy headline and opened the "box of chocolates" to create eye-catching bullet points.
For the full PDF, click here.
Direct Mail – Presidential Candidate
Mission Control, Inc. – "Target"
When printed, the bullet holes were literally cut out, helping this piece stick out in the mailbox. The message to its recipients in swing states like Pennsylvania and Ohio was that McCain's positions—on the economy, guns and conservation—were just as full of holes.
2009 Reed Winners...
Best Mail that Never Saw the Light of Day
Mack/Crounse Group – "The America I See" Early on in the campaign season, Mack/Crounse Group collaborated with Christina Hollenback, the Youth Initiatives Program Manager for Planned Parenthood Federation of America, to develop a multimedia youth outreach strategy in the General Election. This collaboration resulted in a campaign that targeted college campuses and the internet with real stories, identifying the "America I See' and the "America I Want" from the perspectives of America’s youth. This 8.5 x 22 brochure, for example, presents the bleak outlook of a young woman in post-Katrina New Orleans. As a result of the Obama campaign's successful youth outreach and mobilization program, this outside campaign was never implemented, but its effect remains powerful.
Best non-US campaign (International)
Exata Consultoria – Inácio Neto – "The Councilman of the People"
This leaflet, differing from other direct mail pieces with its fresh look, was intended to connect the candidate to targeted voters, raising their interest and informing them that Neto was aware of their problems.
Direct Mail – Best Villain
The Lukens Company – "Wouldn't You?"
To seize attention and provoke an emotional response, the Lukens Company presented voters with this image of a baby carriage on railroad tracks. By suggesting that Obama's position on abortion was equivalent to leaving a baby on the tracks, the piece immediately framed Obama as a villain, unwilling to save even the most helpless.
Direct Mail – Local Candidate
Stearns Consulting – "The David Campos Story"
Running for an open seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in a heavily Latino district, David Campos had to distinguish himself from the two other major candidates. Like him, they were both Latino and politically progressive. Since there were few major policy differences between the candidates, the Campos campaign created this biographical piece to tell his compelling story—fleeing Guatemala with his family as a political refugee, entering the United States as an undocumented immigrant and going on to graduate from Stanford and Harvard Law School.
Direct Mail – Democratic State Legislative Candidate
Mack Crounse Group – "Voccio Said What?"
Democrat Frank Burns, running to fill an open seat in the Pennsylvania's 72nd House District faced Republican Chris Voccio, a former publisher of the area's major newspaper, in a close battle. Instead of using cluttered-looking "tear sheets," Mack/Crounse Group used a newspaper-like design to present Voccio's extreme views in his own words. Though Barack Obama significantly underperformed Democratic registration in the district, Burns won this essential seat by a 5-point margin, helping Democrats expand their one-seat majority in the state House.
Direct Mail – Republican State Legislative Candidate
Faulkner Strategies – Dan Leonard – GOTV
Dan Leonard, running for State Representative in Indiana's House District 50, found himself in a race where Indiana mailboxes were overstuffed with political mail. But by using creative design and easy-to-read blurbs, this piece stuck out. Showing seemingly unimportant moments in history that turned out to have great impact, the piece turns Leonard's status as outsider into a strength and suggests that with a small action—voting for Leonard—voters could have their own great impact of bringing an outsider to Indianapolis.
Direct Mail – Democratic Congressional Candidate [tie]
Gold Communications – "Teague: Clubhouse"
This barrelfold piece was used to drive home one point: While Republican Ed Tinsley was running to represent largely rural Southern New Mexico, he actually made his home in a luxury gated community in Santa Fe. As the piece unfolds, the recipient sees Tinsley's multi-million dollar home, the gated community's impressive clubhouse and Tinsley himself at a golf outing—all of which you might see yourself, if you only knew Tinsley's gate code. Rather than make the case that Tinsley did not live in the district, the piece makes a visual "values statement" that Tinsley is "not one of us."
Mad Dog Mail – "Vets"
This piece emphasized the military background of Congressman Chris Carney, a Democrat representing Pennsylvania's 10th District. Carney, a Commander in the Navy Reserve, stood up for veterans in his first term and fought to expand the GI Bill.
Petel & Company – "Scrapbook"
Mary Jo Kilroy ran for Congress in Ohio's 15th Congressional District, which no Democrat had won in over 42 years. In what was an incredibly negative race in 2006, Kilroy lost to the incumbent after a recount. Petel & Company was hired to help Kilroy overcome her residual negatives from that campaign. This piece was designed to tell her personal story—the daughter of a Vet, a woman who put herself through school and the mother of two daughters—to connect with voters. The first in a series of positive mailings, all told in first-person by Kilroy, this piece used old family photos assembled in a scrapbok to appeal to the target audience, women 35 and older. The piece also set a strong foundation of middle-class values and ethical behavior, creating a contrast with Kilroy's opponent, a former lobbyist with questionable ethics and ties to corruption.
Direct Mail – Republican Congressional Candidate
thetrazgroup – "Piggy Piggy"
During the primary, thetrazgroup discovered that their candidate's opponent, Jack Kelly, was a political mess. While serving as an elected official, he held two high-paying patronage jobs for which he was underqualified; he boosted the taxpayer-funded pensions with which he retired five years later; and thanks to health-plan loopholes, he pocketed an extra $71,000 in cash. One of the regional papers wrote a scathing editorial against Kelly, but the paper did not cover the entire district. Using strong images and newspaper clippings, this piece got the word out.
Direct Mail – Statewide Candidate
Kennedy Communications – "Grandma Mollie"
In the September 2008 Democratic Primary, Delaware State Treasurer Jack Markell faced Lt. Governor John Carney, a popular figure in state politics and the presumed successor to the sitting governor. So Kennedy Communications sought to raise the stakes of the campaign and move it beyond a popularity contest. Since national events had put voters in a mood for change, Kennedy Communications positioned Markell as a straight shooter and creative problem solver—the person they could trust to put Delaware on a new path. In one of the first pieces mailed, they used Markell's own words to tell the story of why he was running for governor: his Grandmother's straight talk and her conviction that people and community must come first, a story that appealed to voters and especially the key demographic of seniors.
Direct Mail – Third Party Candidate
Spectrum Marketing Companies, Inc. – "Red Handed"
Peter Palumbo, the incumbent Democratic Representative for Rhode Island's 16th District, had never been taken to task for his violation of State House rules. Research by Spectrum Marketing Companies, Inc. showed that informed voters resented those lapses and their absent consequences. This piece reminded those voters that the incumbent had moral shortcoming and was not representing their best interests.
Direct Mail – Independent Expenditure Campaign/Issue Advocacy/Ballot Initiative [tie]
360JMG – "Bodnar Storybook"
After a series of pieces highlighting Colorado House Candidate John Bodnar's ties to Big Oil and his opposition to protection for clean air and water, 360JMG needed one more piece to ensure the image of John Bodnar as "The King of Big Oil" to set in. In order to avoid generating a backlash for being too negative, we came up with this fun, rhyming storybook that tells the story of Bodnar as the King of Big Oil in an eye-catching, memorable way. The 8-page booklet measures 7 x 10 inches when folded.
Mad Dog Mail – "The Tiffany Plan"
This piece, one of a number that conveyed the same message, uses visuals to empashize that Tom Tiffany, the Republican candidate for Wisconsin's 12th State Senate District, supported sending tax dollars from the district—far up in the northeastern corner of the state—down to private schools in Milwaukee.
Mission Control, Inc. – "Sweetheart"
This piece highlighted the fact that Tom Feeney, the incumbent Congressman from Florida's 24th Congressional District, had taken an illegal golfing trip—paid for by lobbyist Jack Abramoff—to Scotland. By leveling this attack early and effectively, Mission Control, Inc. helped the DCCC get out in front of Feeney, and helped allow Democrat Suzanne Kosmas’ campaign to march toward a 16-point victory.
Toughest Direct Mail Piece
Rainmaker Media Group – "Forrest Gump"
Rainmaker Media Group's candidate was running against Ed Eaglowski, a judge who was ranked as the least qualified and the least intelligent incumbent judge in West Virginia. The firm decided to spoof the movie poster from Forrest Gump in a direct mail campaign. Like the movie character, Eaglowski may have been likeable, but he lacked intelligence and reasoning ability. Riffing on elements of the movie, the piece used the famous bench image to coin a catchy headline and opened the "box of chocolates" to create eye-catching bullet points.
For the full PDF, click here.
Direct Mail – Presidential Candidate
Mission Control, Inc. – "Target"
When printed, the bullet holes were literally cut out, helping this piece stick out in the mailbox. The message to its recipients in swing states like Pennsylvania and Ohio was that McCain's positions—on the economy, guns and conservation—were just as full of holes.
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